One-Hour Simulation Curriculum Improves Neonatal Resuscitation Skills of Emergency Medicine Residents.

Objective

To evaluate whether a 1-hour neonatal resuscitation (NR) simulation curriculum improves emergency medicine (EM) resident skills, competency, and level of comfort in NR.

Methods

NR skills were assessed during a 7-minute simulation conducted before and after a 45-minute educational session. Performance was assessed using the validated Neonatal Resuscitation Performance Evaluation (NRPE) tool. Time to each successful intervention during the simulation was recorded. Residents completed surveys at 3 time points: before the session (pre), immediately after (post), and at the end of the year (post-post). Surveys assessed baseline NR experience, knowledge, and self-reported competency in NR skills.

Results

Fourteen third-year EM residents participated. There was a significant median improvement in total NRPE scores and in the subset scores of the bag-mask ventilation, intubation, and chest compressions skills. There was a significant decrease in the median time to obtaining initial heart rate, starting positive pressure ventilation, and to successful intubation. There was no significant difference in the time to initiating chest compressions. All 4 self-reported competency measures showed significant median improvement immediately postintervention. This improvement was maintained for 2 items in the post-post survey. Knowledge assessment scores improved significantly from pre- to postintervention.

Conclusions

A 1-hour, NR skill-based simulation curriculum significantly improved NR skills, knowledge, and confidence among senior EM residents. This curriculum could serve as a valuable intervention to address gaps in NR training and can help fulfill proposed Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements.